Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. J. GALLOWAY & G. P. GRAMER.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Dec. 27,1892.

' a:mmmlmmlmm (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. J. GALLOWAY 8v G. P.GRAMER.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Dec. 27,1892.

Snow/Who (4) Qw w g, J 22 3313, a? 613;?

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FEICE.

SAMUEL JAY GALLOVVAY AND GEORGE P. CRAMER, OF PLAINVIEVV, OREGON.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 488,922, dated December27, 1892.

Application filed October 3, 1892. Serial No. 447,706. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, SAMUEL JAY GALLO- WAY and GEORGE P. ORAMER, ofPlainview, in the county of Linn and State of Oregon, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and we do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a detail end elevation of a carshowing our improved coupling devices. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal,vertical central section through the draw-bar in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is adetail end view of the car showing the manner of applying the couplingdevices to an ordinary draw-bar, and also the levers for operating thecoupling on a box car. Fig. 4 is a side view of the draw-bar andconnections shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a bottom View of Fig. 2. Fig. 6is a detail view of the bail and connections between the same andcoupling pin. Fig. 7 is a detail view.

This invention is an improvement in coupling and uncoupling devices forrail-waycars, and its object is to produce an improved link and pincoupling which can be set to couple automatically, or to preventcoupling at all, and which can be uncoupled without danger to thebrakeman; to these ends the invention consists in the novel constructionand combination of parts hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings by letters;-A represents a draw-bar muchsimilar in appearance to the ordinary freight draw-bars but having anunusually large bellmouthed head A the Walls of which are made heavy sothat the bar may also serve as a bumper without injury from shocks. Thebar is socured between guide timbers B, B, on the bottom of the car asusual, and to its rear end is connected a bolt 0 which passes throughplates C O the ends of which are retained between flanged plates 0, c,firmly secured to the timbers as shown, and stout coiled springs c c areinterposed between said plates on said bolts, by which means the drawbar is allowed a limited movement forward or backward, and sudden pushor pull thereon is cushioned. Vithiu the throat of the draw bar isslipped a block D and a catch block E and a rod or bolt 61 may beattached to block D and loosely engaged with an opening in the rear endof block E so that said blocks may be moved toward or from each other. Acoiled spring 6 is slipped on rod d between the blocks, and as block Dabuts against the rear end of the bar it tends to force block E out ofthe draw-bar. Said block E is however retained in the draw bar by meansof a bolt E secured to the draw bar and passing through a longitudinalslot E in said block, by which means the play of said block is limited.While rod d might be omitted we prefer to employ it to keep spring efrom catching or rubbing on the sides of the draw-bar.

Block E may be solid but is preferably cut out transversely at bottom,between its ends, as shown, so as to reduce its weight and thefrictional contact surfaces between said block and bar. The front end ofsaid block has an upwardly and forwardly inclined portion or lip e whichextends close to the roof of the draw bar, and when the block isprojected forward (when the pin is raised) underlies the upper pinopening so that a pin in said opening will rest thereon. Said lip doesnot extend entirely to the lower edge of the block, leaving a squaredportion 6 which receives the impact of the entering link, in coupling.The said lip has a vertical arc-shaped recess 6 in it which bites uponthe pin when the coupling is effected.

a, a, are the ooupling'pin openings in the l draw-barand a is atransverse rib on the floor of the draw-bar just in front of the pinopening. a

In coupling, a pin is set in the upper opening and is supported upon thelip e of block E; then when the link enters the mouth of the draw bar asin ordinary couplers, it strikes the front end of block E and forces thelatter backward until the superimposed pin drops in front of the blockand through the link, when the coupling is effected. The rib a and lip6' hold the link as indicated in Fig. 2 and enable the link to beadjusted up or down so as to properly engage and enter the mouth of anopposed draw-bar, in coupling.

F designates an inverted U-shaped pinlifter the legs F of which passthrough vertical openings in the sides of the draw bar beside the pinopenings. The top piece of this lifter is provided with a centralopening fdirectly over the pin openings, which has an inlet slot f atfront through which the flattened sides of the pin head can be passed.The pin G as shown is provided with a double flanged head and anintermediate cylindrical portion adapted to fit in openingf, saidportion being flattened however on opposite sides so as to allow thehead to be slipped in through slotf and then by-giving it a quarter turnit is lockedin place, while the flanges g, g, respectively above andbelow the top piece prevent longitudinal movement of the pintherethrough. As a further precaution the pin may be locked to thelifter by means of a bolt G passing through an opening in the top of thepin and through perforated lugs on the top of the lifter as shown. Thisconstruction of lifter is designed for use with the ordinary forms ofpins, which can be readily secured thereto. But the form ofpin and themanner'of attaching it to the lifter may be varied in some cases.

The lower ends of the legs Fare connected by a bolt 71 on which is hunga swinging bar H as shown. This latter is provided with a centraldepending ear H which is pivoted to the front end ofa suspended lever I,the rear end of which is pivoted to a lug or lugs depending from therear end of the draw-bar, so that by swinging said lever up or down thepin lifter is raised or lowered. This lever may be raised 01' loweredfrom the top or sides of the car by the means indicated in Figs. 1 and3. When the coupling is applied to passenger coaches -lever I ispivotally connected by a loose joint or link connection j to the end ofa horizontal lever J which is fulcruined on the lower end of a hanger isattached to the car platform. The outer end of leverJis pivotallyconnected to the lower end of a Vertical rod K which rises up throughsuitable guides attached to the platform beside the guard rails asshown, and is provided with a foot piece is by which it can bedepressed, and by so doing, lever J is oscillated and lever I and thepin-lifter and pin, raised, as is evident. The upper end of lever Kwhich passes through a slot in the guard rail has a limited amount ofoscillation during its vertical movement, and it may be locked by meansof a wedge block attached to the guard by a chain or cord, and byinserting this block in the slot on the out or inside of the lever K theparts will be locked so as to hold the lifter or link up or down, asdesired. Instead of block 10 a key k may be passed through openings inthe frame and lever, when they are caused to register by movement of thelever, thereby locking the parts.

When attached to a fiat car, lever K maybe shortened and the foot pieceattached to its upper end as indicated by the levers at lefthand side ofFig. 1, such levers being simplya duplication of those just described,or lever J might be provided with a hand piece at its outer end asindicated at J When applied to box cars, a vertical rod L is attached tothe end of lever J in place of lever K as shown in Fig. 5, and isextended if desired, to the top of car and there provided with a footpiece L pressing said rod downward, the pin lifter and attached pin willbe raised, and the uncoupling efiected. The rod extends through suitableguides attached to the end of car, and it may be connected near itslower end to a lever M pivoted to the end of the car and projecting tothe side thereof, past rod L, and by raising and lowering lever M rod Lwill be shifted. This lever may be provided with a locking pin onadapted to pass through an opening in the lever and en-' gage an openingin the end of car or fixed block attached thereto.

In applying the invention to draw-bars already made, we use the deviceshown in Figs. 3 and at. This is a metallic plate N bolted to the bottomof the draw-bar and having at its front end upstanding tubes 0, O, whichstand at opposite sides of thehead of the ordinary draw-bar, as shown,in line with the pin openings; and in this case the legs 13" of the pinlifter play through said tubes the other parts are constructed about asdescribed and the operation is similar. The pin lifter also serves toguide the pin in its descent and to make it drop more rapidly andaccurately, so that the coupling will be effected before the carsrcbound.

It will be apparent from theforegoing that we have a self acting pin andlink coupler, and by means of the pin lifter and levers as described,the pin can be raised and the uncoupling effected from top, bottom, orside of car, and the parts can be locked in eithe coupled or uncoupledpositions.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent thereon is 1. In a car coupling the combination of thedraw bar having pin openings, the sliding block therein, the loose blockin the rear end thereof, and the spring interposed between said blocks,substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the draw-bar having pin openings and a transverseinterior rib in front of thelower pin opening; with the lipped andslotted block therein, the bolt engaging the slot thereof to limit itsmovement, and the spring interposed between the rear end of the bar andsaid block, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as andfor the purpose described.

3. The combination of the draw-bar having pin openings, the pin lifterguided thereby, the lever I attached at one end to the rear end of thedraw bar and at the other to the lower end of the pin lifter, and theoscillating lever and connections for shifting said lever I,substantially as and for the purpose 4. In a car coupling thecombination of the draw-bar having pin openings, the sliding blocktherein having a lip on its front end as described, and a springforforcing said block forward and means for retaining it in the bar,with the pin and pin lifter and levers for operating the same,substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of the draw-bar having pin openings, the pin, and thevertically movable U-shaped pin lifter having its legs guided beside thepin opening, the swinging bar attached to the lower end of the lifter,the suspended lever pivotally connected to said bar and to a fixed partat its opposite ends, and the oscillating lever and connections forshifting said suspended lever, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the draw-bar with the vertically movable pinlifter having an opening in its top part and a slot leading into saidopening, and the pin having a head provided with upper and lower flangesengaging said openings, substantially as specified.

7. In a car coupling the combination of the draw-bar having pinopenings, the sliding block therein, the loose block in the rear endthereof, and the spring interposed between said blocks, with thecoupling pin, the pin lifter, and levers for shifting the same,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination of the draw-bar, the coupling pin, and the verticallymovable pin lifter; with the hanger bar H, and leversI and J, andconnections for shifting the pin lifter, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

9. The combination of the draw-bar of a plate attached thereto havingupstanding tubes at opposite sides of the draw-bar; with the U-shapedpin lifter whose legs play through said tubes, the pin connectedthereto, the suspended lever connected to the lower end thereof, andoscillating lever and connections for shifting said suspended lever,substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we affix oursignatures in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL JAY GALLOl/VAY. GEORGE P. CRAMER.

WVitnesses:

J. R. WYATT, GEO. E. CHAMBERLAIN.

